


Immortal Sin

by UniqueImposter



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Eventual Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-14 04:29:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5729548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UniqueImposter/pseuds/UniqueImposter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are some things that are destined to be, some things that can not be avoided. Roxas made no promises, while Axel promised him a heart he didn't have. Sora would never allow himself love, and Riku convinced himself that he would make only one selfish mistake. However, fate had other plans for them. Riku/Sora. Axel/Roxas. Medieval. AU. Future Lemons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Immortal Sin

Xemnas?" Riku called out to the former God, who was standing by his window. The older mans face a blank slate, as if he were uninterested in the supreme realm around him. Xemnas was as old as this realm, that window was his only view, Riku was sure he had memorized every detail of this world, for he had been there when all the details were created. He had seen them. Xemnas was the oldest God of Destiny Islands.

Riku was the youngest, barley into his three hundredth year—the youngest of four boys born to Sephiroth and his various wives. Riku was tall with broad shoulders. His face was carved with sharp handsome features, framed with silver hair that reached his waist, and his eyes were a bright aquamarine, the only physical thing that set him apart from him and his brothers. The rest of his kin had amber colored eyes. It wasn't much of a difference, but it was enough to cast him out.

Xemnas turned; a wicked smile crossing his eerily dark face at Riku's calling of his name. Xemnas was Riku's uncle, even after all these years without a heart—heartlessness could not change his blood, no matter how much Sephiroth wished that it could. The father of this world hungered to kill his brother, but to take out a Mother's gift, that was a sin beyond all other sins. And a God must never sin, or at least, not enough for anyone to notice. Riku scowled subconsciously.

Thoughts like that always put him in a fowl mood.

The former God crossed his room promptly to greet the younger one, and motioned Riku forward into his chambers. "Dear Riku," his voiced filled with an emotionless attempt at surprise. "How wonderful it is to see you. What has it been, two hundred years?" Xemnas stared at him, his eyes flickering over Riku's features. The boy knew that he was referring to that night. The night he had his heart taken from him.

"Yes," Riku said pleasantly, his handsome features settling into a polite smile. "At least." Riku examined Xemnas as well, it had been quite awhile since Riku had seen him last.

Though Riku had been a small child then, he felt as though Xemnas had changed more drastically. The former God's silver hair had dulled to a dirty gray; giving a loud example that he had lost favor with Mother. His body was dark, his skin old like dry parchment that just didn't seem to fit him but clung to his bones nonetheless. His movement was twitchy as if he were looking to run, and instead of his families bright amber trademark eyes, Xemnas' were a muddy yellow. His features were haggard, misplaced looking, and contracted into a frightening mask, one that fit the nightmarish stories about Nobodies.

However, Riku wasn't scared, there was nothing more that his empty Nobody could do to him that his brother and father hadn't already done, but there was something that Xemnas could do for him. "I need passage into the mortal world." He said, after Xemnas was quiet.

Xemnas sat in what looked like a horribly uncomfortable chair, it was all Sephiroth could do to spite this man, to give him the least comfortable furniture in the realm. To give him chairs and a bed that would make the only things we could feel, miserable, he assumed that Xemnas had been kept in a constant state of discomfort.

His uncle seemed bemused, although Riku knew that he couldn't possibly be. "Ah, and here I thought we could chat awhile." But Xemnas nodded as if he had already known.

Riku pretended to laugh, "I'm not here to catch up uncle." As if that was silly. As if that was unreasonable. Riku walked over to where Xemnas was and sat in the opposite armchair. They both kept smiling, though they both hadn't felt real emotion in such a long time. Xemnas didn't speak, Riku felt as though he was meant to explain. "I wish to leave this realm permanently. I believe that you can show me how."

The nobody chuckled, mostly to himself it seemed, Riku didn't understand what was funny. A little part of him tightened; he didn't like when people laughed at him. Xemnas leaned forward meeting Riku's eyes. The God didn't even blink. "You'll have to leave this immortality behind. You'll be susceptible to darkness. You'll be guaranteeing your own death."

"I'm not afraid of the darkness."

"You'll have to leave your father, and your brothers behind. You may never see them again." Xemnas practically purred, as if he would love to leave himself, but Xemnas never could. His heart was here. Hidden deep within the castle; protected.

The young God smiled once more, an equally chilling smile. "All the more reason."

Xemnas looked smug. "Alright, saying that I could get you out." And they both knew that he could. "What would you give me in return?"

"I'll tell you where your heart is." Riku wouldn't give all of his options for trade out at once, but just about. Riku wasn't one for banter. The silver haired boy could tell that Xemnas was intrigued, but anything else he was thinking was shrouded in his blank face.

"Well, that is something to consider." His uncle sat back, scheming. Riku didn't care if Xemnas got his heart back. He didn't care if the man laid waste to the realm, filling it with all manner of dark creatures. Bringing it up in Xemnas' idea of glory. Or if he simply fled to another world all together. Riku could not care less.

Why should he? The secret that surrounded his birth had left him long out casted. Riku supposed once that he should have been grateful his father accepted him and his mother into this life at all. However, shelter was a far thing from love.

Riku stood, Xemnas actually looked surprised. "Consider it then. I'll visit again tomorrow."

"Ah, but Riku," Xemnas said, that wicked smile returning to his face. "Tomorrow's the day that we must leave." Riku didn't think it beneficial to him to ask why, but Xemnas continued. "Smuggling you out is going to be a tiresome thing." The young God's insides smoothed in relief, this was the closest he had been too happy in decades. Though he made sure that he let none of the through, as if he too were without a heart. Xemnas seemed happy as well, a viciously ecstatic look about him. "I'll be by tonight to prepare." Those murky yellow eyes followed him as Riku bowed and left.

Riku couldn't imagine getting his heart ripped from him. He also couldn't imagine staying here for one more day. This wasn't heaven, but it was supposed to be the closest this world had besides Kingdom Hearts where Mother lived, but this realm was Riku's personal hell. Maybe if he were to be caught getting his heart taken from him would make this realm more bearable.

Riku knew of his convictions, especially his conviction to leave. And he knew that potential consequences.

Often he wondered why he was put here. The mortal world called to him, spoke from inside him; was implanted in his bones, in his blood. Riku knew that he was meant to go back there. But then, why did Mother put him here? It was a question that had haunted him for a while now. Ever since he had felt the first inclination to leave. When he had noticed how separate he was from his brothers, and his father. None of the mortals prayed to him except a stray few, since he was the youngest, and that made him the most feeble; the least wise.

He was not made to be a God, but then Mother would've made the mistake of giving him silver hair. All-knowing Mother made a mistake, and that was something Riku didn't want to believe, but a large portion of him did. It only made sense. He was her only mistake, and thus she had abandoned him.

He prayed to her, asking her why she had given him silver hair. Why had she cursed him to live forever? To a life full of nothingness, one of constant routine, She never answered him.

Somewhere there had to be a place for him. That had to be true. The All-Mother didn't know what she had been doing when she made him with this silver hair, when she had given him this destiny. Riku mistrusted her actions. Whatever grand plan she might have once had for his life, she was gone from it now. Riku didn't even care that it was a sin to question Mother, he didn't care that it was a sin to hate her.

Since, it was also a sin to turn elsewhere for the answer that he sought. To Xemnas, who had turned out o be more reliable then Mother had ever been. Although, a piece of him felt troubled by the decision, he pushed it to the back of his mind, and pressed forward. Taking the necessary path to his chambers. He entered his too-familiar room, picked up one of the few books in the whole world that he had not read, and waited.

~.~

It was around three in the morning, a time when everyone was meant to be asleep or at the very least had retired to their chambers, where they would stay until morning. In this realm sleep was not required. Some did; to pass the time.

This was when Xemnas came.

The Nobody was cloaked in his organization uniform. The hood up around his already dark face, those dirty yellow orbs peering menacingly from the darkness. He had stepped out of a portal, the likes of which Riku had never seen before. A portal made of darkness, of thick inter-tangled black tentacles. He had appeared out of nothing. Stepping into Riku's room without use of the door, the God was astonished. Riku had never expected Xemnas to have control over the darkness.

Wasn't his experimentation on the black forms they called heartless the reason that the Organization XIII members had been stripped of their powers?

All the stories and songs told of Sephiroth taking Xemnas' heart to prevent him from gaining complete control of the darkness. All his fathers talk about how it was absolutely evil to have darkness in ones heart. However, it appeared to Riku that all of that was a lie. That one did not even need a heart to have darkness. In fact, Xemnas' powers, just by this demonstration, seemed stronger then before.

"How can you control the darkness?" Riku's tone was accusatory, but he was just confused.

Xemnas only flashed that wicked smile. "Where is my heart?"

The God sat back. Of course, he was here to do business; Riku couldn't let his questions get in the way of that. He put his nearly finished book aside, and smiled as well. "How do we prepare? How do I rid myself of immortality?" Xemnas looked a bit agitated as he laughed his portal evaporating behind him. Riku's eyebrows knit together; he still didn't see what was funny. The Nobody laughed as if Riku's question had been inexcusably stupid, and it hadn't. Riku was far from dumb.

Xemnas sat, his breathless laugher coming to an end. "It is only in this realm that you are immortal. It is only here that that ability comes into effect. Mother gives three gifts to each God. The God's of this world receive from her firstly out silver hair to signify that we are different, separate from humans. Meant to rule them and also keep them safe. A gift representing that she called us to govern the people of this world until such a time would pass that she would call us to Kingdom Hearts; the resting place. The second is our name. Sephiroth for loyal, Loz for powerful, Yazoo for wise, Kadaj for cunning, and Riku for Land." Riku's eyes squinted. Land? What was that supposed to mean? "And third is this realm. It is the land that keeps us young. The dirt here is special. Mother created it just for us. You need only to leave, and go into the mortal world and one day you will die. Perhaps not as quickly as the humans around you since you have been under the lands influence for three hundred years, but you will. Didn't anyone ever teach you that?"

No. Riku had never heard of the last two gifts before. It was refreshing and slightly annoying, this new information. Riku had read every book in this world, save a couple. He had heard ever rumor, seen every painting, and heard every song sung, and yet, there were still things he didn't know. He couldn't help himself, his questions were overpowering. He burned with them. "I've heard of humans gaining immortality, and while once they were allowed to visit this realm, they never could live here. How was that possible?"

"The Keyblade Masters, you mean?" Riku nodded, though he had never heard that term before in all his three hundred years. "Hm. The Masters are the select few who are chosen to see into the future and to protect the Gods. The ones who guarded the roads connecting each world, insuring that the doors that lead to them remained closed. We know of other worlds, even the mortals. However, it is strictly forbidden to travel between them.

You are right, there was once a time when humans could visit this realm, to bring gifts, to give praise, to worship. Back in that time the Keyblade Masters would demonstrate their power. If they were worthy to be a keeper of the Keyblade, Sephiroth would grant them a small thimble full of dirt from here. If they kept it close to their heart they would live long lives, but never would they be granted with forever."

"Are there any of them left?"

"No," Xemnas answered, almost cutting Riku off. "They were all wiped out, either from old age or they were killed in the war." Riku looked intently at Xemnas' face, attempting to discern if he could possibly have any emotion at the mention of the war that he was on the wrong side of. Or at least, the side that lost. "In any case," he continued, "No, they're all gone." The young God was almost positive that Xemnas had had a part to play in making sure they all met their end.

Riku let this new information wash over him. Everything was so terribly familiar here, but soon he would be somewhere where he would learn new things everyday, and hopefully never exhaust the knowledge that the world had to offer him.

Xemnas was looking at him expectantly. Riku smirked at him, he had asked enough. He supposed it was time. "There is a statue of Sephiroth in the second ballroom. If you pull down on the right wing there's a path that will open to you. Your heart is kept down deep, almost at the core of the world. It is guarded day and night by heartless."

"Sephiroth always did fancy himself with wings even if truly he has none." Xemnas laughed again. Then turned to Riku. "And the other eleven in my Organization?"

"Ah," Riku breathed. "We only agreed on the whereabouts of your heart."

Xemnas' smile turned sly, but Riku could tell that the man was agitated, an emotion he would soon get to experience for himself. "Of course, silly me." The Nobody lifted his hand and made a motion that Riku didn't recognize. A brilliant dark portal opened behind them. "There you are. Your way out."

Riku was weary of this man. This seemed too easy. When the man had said prepare Riku had assumed that there would be more to the procedure them that. "That's all?" He eyed the man, his skepticism showing through. Riku was especially mistrustful of that never failing smile. Xemnas chuckled, again laughing at an inappropriate moment. The young God was put off. Riku did not want to be swindled, he had put up his end of the bargain; not to the extent that Xemnas had assumed, but enough, for what they had agreed upon.

"That is all, that is your passage to your freedom and your death." Malicious words. "However, I cannot hold it open for much longer, and I will only hold open one portal." Riku stood. He had no choice but to trust him, this was his chance.

He looked into the shadowy window before him, and was suddenly engulfed by the idea that he was actually doing this. He was leaving this realm and all the people it. He would never see them again. He could leave them behind, and forge foreword on a path that suited him, that he would make to his own liking, and for his won benefit. His aquamarine eyes were ablaze with excitement.

One simple step and he was through. Xemnas laughing was the last thing Riku saw before darkness completely enveloped him.

~.~

The edges of Sora's vision were watery; the world around him seemed at if it were a painting about to rip away. Everything was a duller color then its usual vibrancy. The boy was in his bedroom staring himself in the face. The mirror in front of him reflected an almost girlishly skinny boy with a mess of brown spikes surrounding his heart shaped face. He looked right into his light blue eyes. It was all off somehow, even though the reflection was accurate.

All wrong, that's what it was. His eyes were glazed over, his tan skin washed out. His posture stumped over, his arms lying limply at his sides. He was out of focus, but transfixed on the differences.

A bright light came up behind him reflecting in the mirror. Sora turned, staring complacently at he wisp of light. All other things seemed to no longer matter. His small hands reached up slowly. He made motions to grab the wisp and trap it close to him. A thing of such beauty; he wanted it, for always. The wisp easily evaded his grasp. The boy reached up again.

"Sora," the wisp called out to him. The boy stopped as if frozen by the sound. That was his name, his very own name. The wisp had called out to him. Sora felt as though the wisp knew him, more then just his name.

It floated out of the door. "Sora," it called again. It voice light, like falling snow. The boy, as if he were a corpse come back to life, followed the wisp out into the hallway. The light was leading him on a path; while everything else was out of focus the turns were very vivid. Sora knew this castle top to bottom, but he could not even begin to guess where the light was leading him; it didn't seem to matter much. Not now. Not yet. However, there was something urgent in the wisp's infrequent jerks forward.

They went outside, through the gardens. Everything still a duller version of itself. The snow that covered these fields a dull gray. It all turned away from him. None of this mattered. Colorless, unimportant space. He wandered into the woods following faithfully behind the light.

Together they weaved between the trees, but somehow there was always a clear path—a definite place for Sora to move among the roots. Slowly they made it deeper and deeper and deeper into the woods until they came up on a clearing. A circle, where the trees just did not grow. Sora stepped out, and suddenly everything came into focus.

A sliver tree grew up in the middle of the clearing where trees were not supposed to grow. It's silver leaves scattered all around its base. The wisp gently floated into the trunk. The light was lost inside. Sora walked up to it, his motor functions returning to normal. He put his palm flat against the trunk of the tree. A fading heartbeat met his fingertips. Sora tilted his head to the side in curiosity. The trunk was warm despite the frigid surroundings.

Sora bent down and picked up a silver leaf handling it delicately. A wave of pain washed through him. He had to pick up all the leaves, every stray leaf. The boy felt light headed, something began pushing him as he bent repeatedly to get the leaves. Falling to his knees.

Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.

Sora looked up, making sure to keep the fallen leaves clutched tightly to him. A bare tree. A dead tree. It was the middle of winter and these leaves had fallen recently from this tree. Sora held them closer to him, and looked about the clearing. How could he hold them all? How could he keep the rest from falling?

The tree grew darker slightly, its bright sliver bark turning gray. The tree was really withering away before Sora's eyes. Sora put his ear up to the trunk. The heart beat barely beating. Something inside Sora pinched deep into his heart. He, personally, needed this tree to live. Tears began streaming down the boys cheeks as he sat in the snow. "Please," he whispered, "don't go."

The tree grew bright as the wisp exited the trunk. Then when it floated directly into Sora's chest the boy slowly fell backwards.

Sora jolted upright, wide-awake. He could hardly breathe, his heart racing, head pounding. He tried to calm his breath. The bedding was soggy with sweat around him. He twisted himself to look around, it was still dark, but everything seemed normal. He really was awake; this was no longer a dream.

But Sora felt the same urgency, the same pinch, that he had while he was asleep. As if the wisp that had floated inside was still telling him to hurry; that he was going to miss his chance. He was going to be to late.

He practically jumped out of bed, quickly untangling himself from the sheets. He threw his nightgown clear across the room and he sprinted to the dresser. The crown shaped pendant he always wore awkwardly over his shoulder and on his back.

Sora looked out the window. It was the sky that was getting lighter. It would be dawn in thirty minutes or less. The castle would be bustling awake, if not full of life by then. A young prince would never be allowed to leave, especially not if he was to enter the woods all on his own. The wisp had woken him up just in time, Sora couldn't spare a second.

Quickly, Sora reached into his dresser feeling around. He pulled out and put on the heaviest clothes he had. He turned, scanning his barley lit room for his boots. He spotted them by the fireplace where he had kicked them off the night before. Sora shoved his feet into them; his left foot and then his right. Sora grabbed his cloak and wrapped it around himself as he exited his chambers, taking the familiar path down into and then through the gardens.

The boy began to run when he saw the trees, hurried forward by something he couldn't place.

The sun came up behind Sora as he entered the woods, a redheaded man following close behind.

~.~

Riku stepped into a forest dense with thick trees, trunks bathed in moonlight lit blankets of white. Snow; Riku had only ever read about it—about winter, and even about forests. Winter, even in a world that was made up of five large islands, Riku hardly believed the snow to be real before now for he had never experienced it. The boy was almost giddy. He couldn't wait to explore. To see, with his own eyes, what this world had in store for him.

It was all so different. The realm of this world from once he came was always warm, and always clean. There was never snow, or rain for that matter. It was supposed to be paradise, never changing, a state of pleasing weather.

A cold wind blew right through him, chilling Riku for the first time in his life. He was wearing clothing made for his realm—thin, comfortable, clothes. Even if he had remembered that it was the middle of winter, there would've been nothing in his wardrobe to keep him warm.

All the same, he cursed Xemnas for not warning him. Riku started forward, and found that it was not an easy task to walk through snow so thick. He had to take large steps to move most efficiently. He had picked a direction at random, the trees were too tall and bunched together to get his barring's. He had hoped to see stars but the leaves of some of the trees reached the top of the trunk and fanned out blocking the dark sky from view.

In his realm it got dark like this at night, so the Gods could keep track of the days, but they had no stars and no moon and no sun in the sky.

Riku trudged onward, his body was stronger, his skin tougher, then any humans, but after the first couple of miles the cold started to set in. First into his skin, starting in his fingertips and feet, and then it made its way deeper, into his bones it felt like. Freezing him; inside out.

After the next couple miles, thirst began to overwhelm him, his lungs were dry; so dry he could barley breathe. His muscles ached with exhaustion. As if the life was evaporating from him. Soon, he feared he would be too tired to stand, much less be able to move forward, and he had no idea when the trees would end and open up to a village. Or something. A house at the very least.

His pace was steadily declining, and he could not get himself to go faster. Riku resolved himself. This would not be his death, not yet. This world had so much more to experience, and Riku had plans to see it all before the end of his days; this could not be it.

Riku cursed Xemnas again; the boy had been foolish to keep the hearts of the other Organization members from him. He now knew what he had meant by prepare. He had planned to equip Riku with water and food, and maybe even transport him in the middle of a town with some munny.

The trees parted suddenly. Opening up into a clearing that was perfectly round—a place where the tress did not grow. Riku had read about such places, long ago they had been sacred ground. Over four thousand years ago people came here to give gifts to Sephiroth, and in return he would protect them. Riku supposed now that they were just places of oddity to humans; with a simple explanation of bad soil.

There was a camp of men on the other side of the clearing. Twenty bodies huddled close around a fire. Riku felt a bit of hope, they could point him in the direction of the next town, maybe they would spare a drink of water, or maybe even a bit to eat. Until he looked at them more closely. The fire suddenly cast the men in a different light. They were grimy, their cloths made up of various leathers, stitched together crudely. They had an abundance of scars and poorly inked tattoos. Riku didn't know why he had allowed himself to feel hope. His light-headedness had almost cost him. Mother would never grant him any favors especially not now.

These men were bandits; robbers, rappers, and murderers. Riku had read about the most fearsome, heard all the songs and stories of horrible deeds that bandits committed, just for sport.

Riku realized once again how well dressed he was. The thread in his shirt was made of gold; his pants and boots were dragon hide. His cloths were made by enchantment, a sign of luxury. The various rings on his fingers were stardust, almost nonexistent here—only the wealthiest of the five kingdoms had but a little; a flake at most. To the rest of the people it was legend; Riku doubted the bandits would even guess.

That was, if they caught him. Riku made a half step backwards to return to the thick trees, he didn't know if he could defeat so many men. Twenty could hardly be considered a challenge if was hadn't been so hungry, or thirsty or tired. He did not think he could win this battle, if he tried it would cost him the rest of his energy.

His hair reflected in the light, and they turned stunned to see him. Even in such darkness with only a fire there was enough light to highlight him. They elbowed each other and pointed, murmuring amongst themselves. The first man to rise Riku assumed he was the leader, his guess made fact when all the men hushed to let him speak.

"Hello, boy." This man had to be the most digesting. His teeth were rotten all the way through, though somehow he had managed to keep them all. His skin was dirty white; a layer of grime lay over his features and overly exaggerated muscles. The mans eyes were brown, but malicious. And he was awkwardly bald. There was something foul in his stance alone. A glint of greed in his smile.

Boy? Riku was at least six times this mans age. He knew that he didn't want the men to know who he was, but part of him was annoyed that they didn't. Riku had never been so disrespected in his life. His family hated and ignored him, but when they interacted they treated him with respect. The same standard should've been amongst the humans, even if these were bandits.

"Little Lord lost in the forest?" He took a step forward, the rest of the men stood. "And such a pretty boy too, especially with that fine blonde hair. Almost look like a young lass." They all chuckled, but they were eyeing his clothing and jewelry and not his chest. They were trying to rattle him, and have him make a stupid mistake. While Riku would've loved to boast that their words did not faze him, they did. His brothers always made underhand comments about how fair he was.

However, Riku still had his wits about him. "If you point me in the direction of the nearest town I'll be on my way, and none of you will get hurt." Riku knew it was a bold thing to say, and maybe even he was proving them right. By the men's agitated looks and whispers they thought so too.

The leader chuckled and the men broke out into a dark wave of laughter. "Those are big words for a little Lord, all on his own in the forest. Lord's are all the same, thinking they are invincible. That they are Gods." Riku laughed out right, he couldn't help it. Such a reference to Riku, himself, the youngest of the four Gods was too much. It was too ironic. This man, how could he be so blind? And yet, so perceptive. This had to be a joke.

Though, it wasn't. The man was just too stupid to understand why Riku was laughing. "Is your death really so funny boy?"

"No." Riku said. "But yours will be." False words, he didn't know if he could kill any of these men.

Riku closed his eyes, breathing in steadily through his nose. Waiting. The men chuckled again, as they thought him ridiculous. The God heard them all; his ears could hear every moment, every shift in the environment around him. His eyes would fail him, especially when the only source of light was a fire that the bandits now blocked. With the odds stacked so high against him, he needed to be able to know every advantage or disadvantage he had. Riku was very resourceful, but, even so, he was no longer so sure he would live past today.

Earlier he had been able to reassure himself that it was not his day to die. Now he was questioning if he would make it out of this circle. Even if he won, would he have any energy left? He wouldn't make it past this wood, unless Riku was very lucky. And he had never had luck on his side, he hated the idea of having to rely on it now.

Their leader walked toward him, his footsteps heavy and slow. The man swung as hard as he could at Riku's skull, his large arm cutting through the wind. Riku easily dodged him. The man's face a mask of confusion as he swung at air, and stumbled forward. Riku grabbed him and thrust him into the nearest tree. His head smacked loudly against the trunk of it. He didn't make any noise after; Riku had either knocked him out cold or killed him. Riku prayed he was dead.

The rest of the men were stunned for just a second, giving Riku all the time he needed to steady himself once again. The God was tired; he couldn't completely keep his breathing under control. The men knew he was exhausted, pushed right up against his limit. They exchanged harsh smiles despite their leader lying corpselike in the snow. Those bandits still thought him no threat.

It was terrifying to be so close to death. Riku pushed it out of his mind, but some of it wouldn't go and hung there. Taunting him.

Five or so of the men stepped forward, laughing and jesting. Riku knocked them out, with only a slight problem; they swung clumsily, their bulky bodies unable to keep up with Riku's speed and flexibility. In the end Riku landed enough blows to put each one to sleep for a short while. Since he was stronger then any of these men, they fell unconscious when Riku hit them dead on. Leaving Riku to deal with the rest of the bandits.

He could not control his breathing anymore. He was panting, sucking in the cold air into his dry lungs. He could not hear anything but himself, so he opened his eyes. They took no chances with a couple men this time and the remaining fourteen or so came at him. No more jokes, or crude smiles on their faces.

Luckily, the rest of the bandits seemed to have no formal training, they swung at him like madmen. They were getting frustrated, but so was Riku. He dodged them as best he could, trying to thoughtfully send out a punch or kick himself. However, the more he moved the more he felt the exhaustion overtake him. He couldn't breath at all, barley able to get in a gasp or two of air at certain intervals, but he had to keep moving. There was no time to catch up.

A mans fist connected to his shoulder, the blow surprised him, he hadn't even seen it coming. The men had been smart enough to surround him, to press their bodies together and make a solid wall. In his moment of shock another fist hit him in the jaw; pain burned through him originating from both points. He had never felt pain before.

He had never had the fear of death hang over him like a cloud. The icy fingers of cold squeezing around his limbs, settling deep into his muscles. He thought about just giving up, of falling to his knees and begging for them to stop, but the idea made him feel disgusted with himself.

How dare he think of giving up now?

Another aimed for his face, but Riku was paying attention. He grabbed the mans arm and Riku pulled him into the circle leaving a space for Riku to break free. The God slipped through it before they could make to close it around the missing bandit.

The leader met him, standing in front of him, his face bruised and bloody, but up—on his feet. The man instinctively swung, and the blow connected. Sending Riku sprawling to the ground.

The fall was bittersweet; Riku's body could give in. Could relax. His mind though, was racing. How could he have let this happen? How could Mother have let this happen? He was a God, created by her, had she really turned her back on him, even now? He had always thought so; he didn't know why it had come as a surprise.

Riku laid paralyzed in the snow, unable to do anything but stare up at the slowly lightening sky, the sun was coming up. He felt one of them kneel in the snow next to him. "Good fight, boy. There's no way you could've beaten us though. You aren't a God, it was foolish to think so."

The half dead body chuckled, what a cruel joke.

They took his rings, and the various other jewelry he had. They took his cloths; the snow almost unbearably cold against his bare skin. He made no move to resist, he was beaten; finished. Besides, he didn't think he could've even if he wanted to. All his energy was spent just like he predicted it would be. This was his end. The end of the youngest God, bound to pass on before his father, the eldest, one of the first. But Riku could be the first in this. He wondered briefly if his brothers would be jealous, then decided that he didn't care.

He had left his everlasting life behind. Now he really was just a boy.

Riku had wanted to die on his own terms, but to die was enough. How long had he waited to be eternally free of his father? To long.

The bandit leader leaned over him again, the boy could barley keep his eyes open. All he could make out was that he had a knife in his hand and a smirk on his dirty face. Riku closed his eyes. He welcomed death. With all of his heart, he wanted to die.

... 

Sup. This is one of my older stories there are thirteen chapters up on fanfiction.net if you wanted to binge read the whole thing so far. Anyways! Lots of love! Toodles!


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